EXCLUSIVE | Fashion Scout Selection Panel AW15

The AW15/16 Fashion Scout Selection Panel converged on Tuesday 18th November to decide which designers would showcase with Fashion Scout during London and Paris Fashion Week. A collection of Fashions finest, the panel included Vogue Italia's Sara Maino, renowned fashion commentator Hilary Alexander OBE, Judith Tolley from the Centre for Fashion Enterprise, the British Council, former Merit Award winner Georgia Hardinge and Fashion Scout's own director Martyn Roberts. 

The panel spent the day time looking through all fifty shortlisted designers before deciding on this seasons Merit Award and One’s to Watch recipients. 

The judges where overwhelmed by the level of talent for AW15/16. Commenting on what seems to be a new ‘era’ of designer talent- with a focus on craftsmanship, creativity and colour. Those who are chosen by the judges will have the chance to showcase their collections during Fashion Scout London Fashion Week in catwalk shows, presentations or as part of exhibitions from the 20th - 24th February 2015. 

Look out for our new designer announcements soon, including the prestigious Ones to Watch and Merit Award winners. 

by Daisy Milward

Images from Fashion Scout Events

FRONT ROW| Sara Maino at Ones to Watch

Italian Vogue’s Senior Editor Sara Maino works with some of the most talented designers in the world, but enjoys the interesting and challenging designs from younger talents from a wide range of backgrounds and traditions.

Fashion Scout: What do you think about Fashion Scout as a platform for young designers?

Sara Maino: When I am asked this question, I always answer in the same way; it’s very important that platforms like Fashion Scout exist to support new designers, as I do think that this is the beginning of the designers doing such fantastic work. It’s always very challenging and interesting to come and see so many different designers from different countries, traditions and mentalities.

FS: Do you think young designers get enough support?

SM: I do always think that we can do it much better, but I do think that, especially in London, they do really get a lot of support. It is interesting to see how it has changed in the past few years. I mean, in the beginning there were two or three important platforms through which talent was sustained, but now in the industry it’s kind of an interest to the new generation, so this is already a big success. I do think this must just go on, and we should be supportive in many ways.

FS: What shows are you seeing with Fashion Scout this season?

SM; I just saw Jamie Wei Huang before, which was really interesting. I also think the Ones To Watch are really challenging. I’m going to see the Portuguese designers this afternoon, and then unfortunately have to go home tomorrow so I won’t get a chance to see all of them! But it’s always nice to see the pictures afterwards.

FS: Have you been to the Exhibition?

SM: Yes I have, I do think that the graduate fashion designers, some of which I had already seen in London’s Graduate Fashion Week, I do think they’re very, very talented. A few are very interesting and ones to keep an eye on.

FS: It’s only a week into fashion month, but have you seen any key trends emerging?

SM: It’s a little too soon to say, but seeing what I saw here today, there’s a lot of colour, which is always positive, and it’s always interesting to see things going in the direction of easy wear, rather than fashion that is too complicated.

By Isabella Silvers, Contributor, (@izzymks).

Photo by Elizabeth Hodson.

NEWS: Little Shilpa Featured in Vogue Italia

Fashion Scout AW14 designer Little Shilpa has been featured in Vogue Italia. 

For Vogue Italia's 50th anniversary, the publication have teamed up with Pepsi and, through their 'Pulse of New Talent' project, invited 10 international designers to interpret the world of Pepsi through their distinct design aesthetic. Little Shilpa is one such designer who, through her fashion forward vision and expressive millinery, is sure to bring a fresh eye to the brief. 

"When I think of Pepsi, I think of refreshing summer days, youthful dalliances and the EDM generation," Little Shilpa explains to Vogue Italia. "For this project, I have designer a visor. It is a double-layered visor with two colour ways for men and women... The design is youthful, fun and imbibes street culture."

Little Shilpa showcased her AW14 collection 'Vesper Bloom' at our Freemason's Hall venue in February. Bringing a dark presentation of pieces to our presentation room, her designs were highly embellished and intricately detailed.  

To see illustrations of Little Shilpa's piece, photos of the design itself and to read the rest of the interview, click here. 

By Josh Walker, Editor, (@josh_walker_).
Images, taken by Oliver Savage.

NEWS| Graduate Fashion Week International Catwalk Competition Opens

We have partnered with Graduate Fashion Week and Vogue Italia Talents to present the International Catwalk Competition during Graduate Fashion Week 2014. 

The world’s leading fashion universities are invited to enter their top graduate’s collection. Each of the selected universities can enter just one graduate collection into the competition. The judging panel is headed by Sara Maino, Senior Fashion Editor from Vogue Italia and includes other industry experts including Prof. Wendy Dagworthy (RCA).

The prize for the winning collection is £1,000 for the graduate and £500 for the university plus the collection will be exhibited on our catwalk at Freemasons Hall during London Fashion Week in September 2014.

This year, Graduate Fashion Week will be held at the Truman Brewery, in the creative hub of London. The world's largest showcase of graduate fashion talent, it will feature 42 universities and 20 catwalk shows and has launched the careers of those among the likes of Stella McCartney and Christopher Bailey. 

The Catwalk Show and Judging will take place at GFW on Tuesday 3rd June 2014.

For full details and to confirm your interest, please email competition@gfw.org.uk for further details.

By Josh Walker, Editor, (@josh_walker_).

NEWS| Kirsty Ward in the Press

Kaltblut Magazine

Grazia

Style.com

Vogue Italia

Following the success of our Paris Showrooms for AW14, the work of designer Kirsty Ward has caught the eye of the press. This time around, it's Vogue Italia, Grazia, Style.com and Kaltblut magazine in which Ward's designs have made an appearance.  Her SS14 light blue statement earrings featured within the pages of Grazia whilst her AW14 cream short dress and purple necklace both highlighted on Vogue Italia.

With an aesthetic which revolves around striking pieces and dramatic embellishments, the designer and Central Saint Martins graduate was named one of our Ones to Watch for AW11. Since then, she's progressed to attract much attention from the industry as well as showcase her work at our showrooms for the past two seasons. 

By Josh Walker, (@josh_walker_), Editor.

Images from relevant publications.

INTERVIEW| Sara Maino, Senior Editor Vogue Italia

We caught up with Vogue Italia's Senior Editor Sara Maino on the front row ahead of Xiao Li’s Merit Award show,

What are you looking forward to seeing from Xiao Li today?

I’m really looking forward to seeing the new collection, the first collection was amazing and I’m hoping to see an evolution from that.

What do you think of Fashion Scout as a platform for emerging design talent?

It is a really important platform, its fundamental for discovering new talent.

Have you seen any other shows today?

 Yes, I have seen Ming Hu, I didn't know of her and I really enjoyed her show, it was really interesting in terms of material and shape.

By Charlotte Muscat (@CharlotteLM9)

Photography by Jamike Latif (@JamikeLatif) taken on the fashion forward LumixGM (@PanasonicUK)

NEWS| Fashion Scout Kiev launches Design It contest in partnership with Vogue Italia

Designers who have submitted an entry into Fashion Scout Kiev can now also apply for the Design It Contest in partnership with Vogue Italia.

The international judging the entrants include Hilary Alexander, the Editor of Italian Vogue Sara Maino, the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Ukraine Masha Tsukanova, Martyn Roberts, the founder of Fashion Scout platform, Daria Shapovalova, creative director of Mercedes-Benz Kiev Fashion Days and Margarita Zubatova, the Fashion Editor at LookAtMe. 

Applicants can win one of three prizes: 

• A grant to participate in the Fashion Scout Kiev with the support of Vogue It
• A grant to participate in the Mercedes-Benz Kiev Fashion Days with the support of Vogue Ua
• A feature published on Vogue.it

In addition, works of the winner who gets the biggest number of likes, will also be published online on VOGUE.IT.

Can you apply? Yes if you are an applicant of Fashion Scout Kiev! All you need to do is upload example of your work (sketches and lookbooks) here: http://fashionweek.kiev.ua/design-it/ and encourage your friends and fans to vote for you to win!

Visit the Fashion Scout Kiev website for more information. 

NEWS| Hellen van Rees featured on Vogue Italia following award win

Vogue Italia features Helen Van Rees and her Humanity in Fashion award win. 

Hellen Van Rees', Square3 Angle collection was awarded on the grounds of her attention to detail that enables the minimisation of waste along with her use of recycled material. Her work was influenced and inspired by the classic tweed Chanel suit, reworked with a modern, contemporary aesthetic.

Hellen described the collection to Vogue Italia as 'quite sculptural art, suitable for an extravagant celebrity like Lady Gaga', which can also be toned down to be both chic and ladylike.

You can read more about her win on Vogue Italia. 

By Brooke McCord @BrookeMcCord

NEWS| Ksenia Schnaider and Georgia Hardinge featured on Vogue Italia 'Emerging and Green Berlin'

Vogue Italia have featured two Fashion Scout designers who showcased at Berlin Fashion Film Festival. Georgia Hardinge's 'River Island for Georgia Hardinge' collection by Alex Turvey won the Berlin Fashion Film Festival 2013 Award for Best Fashion and Best Cinematography.  Meanwhile Fashion Scout Kiev designer Ksenia Schnaider showcased in the Edged Showroom initiative, a platform created to showcase emerging designers. To read the full Vogue Italia article click here, congratulations to both Georgia and Ksenia!  

By Cass Gowing, Fashion Scout Editor @CassGowing

NEWS| Vogue Italia and The Dubai Mall's Eco Talents Scouting Initiative

Vogue Italia  have launched Eco-Talents Scouting, a new organisation created with The Dubai Mall in order to encourage creativity in eco-fashion and eco-design. Aimed at both emerging and established designers, all the selected projects will be exhibited in October at The Dubai Mall during the “Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience”.

Editor in Chief of Vogue Italia Franca Sozzani commented on the enterprise: "The Dubai Mall is a Fashion World. Vogue Italia is a Fashion Magazine. To make an event together means to welcome all the people who love fashion, and also to give an opportunity to young talents to show their creativity and their talent”

Want to enter? You need to send to ecotalents@condenast.it the following information:

• Biography and info on the brand
• A lookbook of the two latest collections
• A list of stores where the brand is sold
• A short text illustrating your project with relevant sketches and designs

Deadline to be part of this global eco initiative is 30th June 2013. For more information, visit Vogue Italia's Eco Talents pages. 

By Cass Gowing, Editor. 
Follow her on Twitter, @CassGowing

NEWS| Fashion Scout Designers featured on Vogue Italia

 

On Saturday we interviewed Senior Fashion Editor of Vogue Italia, Sara Maino. Before watching Merit award winner Yifang Wan, Sara visited our exhibition of international designers and has featured nine of them in her Impressions from London 2 feature. The feature on Italian Vogue's website curates a selection of moments, images, products and styles providing a visual story of London Fashion Week.

The prestigious fashion editor featured designs from Hellen Van Rees, Anna October, Claudia Ligan, Lulu Liu, Emillium, Yulia Kondranina, Ming Pin Tien, Christopher Waller and Nova Chiu. 

By Darcie Thompson-Fields, @DarcieTF
Images from Vogue Italia

NEWS| Kirsty Ward showcasing at Vogue Talents Corner in Milan

Paris Fashion Scout showroom designer Kirsty Ward has been selected by Italian Vogue to feature in their 'Vogues Talent Corner'. The Central Saint Martins graduate will be exhibiting her A/W'13/14 collection during Milan fashion week. The exhibition showcases new designers from around the world that have been scouted by Italian Vogue in partnership with shopping site The Corner.

The Oxfordshire born designer designed for Alberta Ferretti before launching her eponymous label in 2010. Her designs feature the merging of jewellery and clothing and focus on unconventional structure and form. Alongside Vogues Talent Corner, Kirsty will show her collection at Fashion Scout Paris from Thursday 28th February - Tuesday 5th March. 

As well as her own collection, Vogue will also feature her collaboration with British bag designer, Sarah Williams of Williams Handmade.

By Darcie Thompson-Fields (@DarcieTF)

INTERVIEW| Sara Maino, Vogue Italia

Following the success of Merit Award Winner, Yifang Wan, Fashion Scout were fortunate enough to speak to Sara Maino, Senior Fashion Editor at Vogue Italia:  

"I think that she has really interesting silhouette cuts and overcoats; it’s interesting how she uses the metal pieces as elements in the clothes.  At the beginning of a designer’s career there is always a turning-process to be done, but I think she is someone to watch out for in the next season as she develops.     

I think Fashion Scout is always an interesting place to come; there are some designers who I saw last season, who are developing their collection in a positive and prosperous way.  Fashion Scout is becoming more international, but this is a consequence of what is happening in fashion.  In London there are many emerging, interesting designers; basically, London is an international city where many international people are living.  It’s not just a matter of being English, to be a London-based designer." 

Interview by Abigail Gurney-Read, @AbbyGurneyRead
Images by Daniella Farrow, @danifarrow

NEWS| Fashion Scout relaunch on Vogue Italia

The re-launch of Fashion Scout as the international showcase for fashion innovation has appeared on Vogue Italia and explains how Fashion Scout "now expands its global outreach to include leading international showcases". With our showcase only a matter of days away, this season is set to be another exciting one. Including talent from the likes of our Merit Award winner, Chinese designer Yifang Wan, a curated selection of new designers from the Ukraine as well as a catwalk presentation from Istanbul's best, we look forward to seeing what all of our designers have to offer.

Fashion Scout's London showcase will take place from the 15th - 19th of February at our Freemasons Hall.

By Josh Walker (@josh_walker_)

NEWS| Graduate Showcase designer Maia Bergman wins Vogue Italia award

Graduate Showcase designer, Maia Bergman has recently added to her already extensive list of accolades- Harper's Bazaar featuring her work on their September cover, featured in the Chinese edition of Vogue, and now this, winning Vogue Italia's Young Vision design award.

In partnership with online design community Muuse Fashion, Vogue Italia selected 10 finalists out of an original 300 to be voted by the public as winner of the 2012 Young Vision award. Out of the final 10, Central Saint Martins graduate, and VFS alum Maia Bergman was voted winner of the Community's Choice Award- an award Fashion Editor Sara Maino explains is voted for by the "international" online community, not just those reading Vogue Italia in its namesake country. 

More reason for VFS to be excited about the future of this young talent, and expect greater things for her yet.

Read the original announcement online at Vogue Italia, and follow Maia on Twitter @MaiaBergman.

NEWS| MASC featured by Vogue Italia

Hailed "Bright Young Things" by internationally renowned store, Selfridges & Co- featured in the store's carefully curated display of the UK's "most exciting young creators"- London based duo Duncan Shaw and Billy Yick have again added to their notable accolades with repeated features by Italian Vogue.

First picked as a showroom favourite by the magazine back in March, Vogue Italia have again profiled the label, though this time, getting behind the "MASC", uncovering the aesthesis of the pair's vision, and where they're going next.

Click here for the full feature, and learn more of the partners' beginnings, and unexpected Yves Saint Laurent connections.

NEWS| Kirsty Ward featured in Vogue Italia 'Talents' piece

Having been named the Rising Star of 2011 by Elle and a Designer to Watch by Vogue, it's no wonder our previous One to Watch Kirsty Ward is a designer who's become well accustomed to press attention. Having just exhibited her S/S13 collection in our Paris showrooms, it's something that's sure to continue. Most recently, it's been Glass magazine, Crack magazine and Vogue Italia that she's caught the eye of.

In 'A moment with Kirsty Ward', Glass talked to the Central Saint Martin's graduate about her inspirations, VFS and the future. “Inspiration can come from anywhere,” she says during the interview. “I especially love the elderly... I also watch a lot of sci-fi and that always creeps in.”

Crack magazine have also recently featured her work. One of Ward's AW12 necklaces has appeared in an editorial of the monthly art and music magazine's latest issue and perfectly presents the structured aesthetic the designer has become known for.

If that wasn't enough, Vogue Italia have also featured Ward's AW12 collection in their talent section. With a biography and a display of her powerfully innovative and embellished designs, it's safe to say Kirsty Ward is certainly making a name for herself.

By Josh Walker (@josh_walker_)

Images all taken from each publication named.

NEWS| David Longshaw's Arthur and Francesca meet Helen Van Rees's climbing wall...

David Longshaw has well and truly brought a touch of humour to Vogue Italia with his latest comic strip. Including the work of our One to Watch Hellen Van Rees, the illustration plays on the statement and geometric work of the Central Saint Martin's graduate. Having displayed her S/S13 collection on the catwalk at our Freemason's Hall to positive reviews during London Fashion Week, the designer's garments have been described as many things. Here though, Arthur chooses “a terribly stylish climbing wall” as a fitting description. 

Having made a name for his illustrations already, Longshaw is the creator of the Maude character and is a previous VFS Ones to Watch winner. 

His latest comic strip can be viewed above or on Vogue Italia's website.

By Josh Walker (@josh_walker_)

Illustration by David Longshaw

INTERVIEW| Sara Maino, Senior Fashion Editor of Vogue Italia

Vauxhall Fashion Scout spoke to the Senior Fashion Editor of Vogue Italia, Sara Maino, as she was browsing through the designers featured in our Exhibition Space:

“I never think it’s very nice to say who our favourite designers are here, but Vauxhall Fashion Scout offers an opportunity for research into new talented designers.  I think this is the most important thing.  It’s nice because you can see a really high quality of work mixed with the origins of the designers; sometimes you can really see the influence of their traditions and heritage.  There are a few designers who are really talented, and others who are just beginning and have to still go through some experiences.  I think it’s really interesting because you have a complete visualisation of what is happening with designers who are only just leaving school.  It’s always really amazing to come here and look at what is happening.

Usually I always make contact with all of the designers, because even if someone doesn’t seem so interesting now, they might do next season.  So I try to keep in touch with all of the designers throughout the year.” 

Interviewed by Abigail Gurney-Read
Photographs by Rebecca Andrews